Drying tray



@ct 27, 1942. R P, SCHERER 2,300,317

DRYING TRAY Filed NOV. 8, 1959' IN VENTOR. @DEEE/7' .D ECHE/LFE??ATTORNEYS?.

Patented Oct. 27, 1942 UNITED lSTATES ,PATENT OFFICE DRYjNG TRAY RobertP. Scherer, Detroit, Mich. Application November 8, 1939, SerialNo.303,443

2 Claims. (Cl. 34-238) This invention relates to improvements in dryingtrays and is illustrated as embodied in a tray of this characterprovided for the drying of gelatin capsules.

An object is to provide a tray so constructed as to be sanitary andeasily cleaned, which is light in weight, yet is strong and inexpensiveand which is so formed that objects supported thereon, such as capsuleswill be exposed to free circulation of the air thereover for drying. i

A further object is to provide a tray so constructed that a plurality ofsuch trays may be stacked or nested in such a manner that the contentsof the several trays so nested will be protected and will still be opento air circulating thereover for drying and the trays may be readilyAand easily moved as a stack from one place to another and withoutdisturbing the contents.

Other objects, advantages, and meritorious features of this inventionwill more fully appear from the following description, appended claims,and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective illustrating a plurality of trays embodying myinvention stacked or nested one upon the other,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view through acorner of one of the trays embodying my invention,

Fig. 3 is a. vertical sectional view through a v corner of a stack ofthree trays nested together and each embodying this invention.

A tray of this type is adapted to carry a large number of gelatincapsules spread out in a single layer upon the bottom of the tray fordrying. The trays are so -constructed as to be nested one upon the otherand arranged in stacks of a large number of trays. In these stacks theyare adapted to be moved from one place to another for storage. It isnecessary, therefore, that the nesting of the trays be such that thismovement from place to place will not disturb the capsules carriedthereon. It is furthermore necessary that the drying of the capsules beaccomplished and the invention here set forth relates to a tray which isadapted to support the capsules or Whatever articles are carried uponthe tray in such manner as to permit free circulation of air thereoverand in such manner as to permit the stacking of a large number of traysin nested relationship without disturbing the capsules carried on thetrays. When nested the trays are held against accidental lateraldisplacement and seal upon each other to protect the capsules carriedthereby.

This improved tray has a bottom I0 and a side wall I2. The side wallwhich slopes upwardly and outwardly from the bottom and is rolled overalong its upper margin as at I 4 to provide a double thickness of themargin as shown particularly in Fig. 3.

.Such side wall is provided as shown with a plurality of air circulationperforations I6. 'I'hese perforations are spaced at their lower marginsslightly above the bottom of the tray so that there would not be anytendency for small capsules to become lodged therein or deformed therebyand to render more rigid the tray side wall structure. The upper foldedover margin I i of the side wall also reinforces the structural rigidityof the trays. These perforations may be of the elongate sh'ape shown inFigs. l and 3.

The tray is provided with an outwardly projecting shoulder portion whichforms a support. These shoulder portions are here illustrated asembodied in supports which embrace each corner of the tray as shownparticularly in the drawing. A corner support is shown in enlargeddetail in Fig. 2 at I8. It is formed of sheet metal which is preferablyheavier than the sheet metal of which the side wall and bottom of thetray is formed-and is so shaped as to embrace a corner of the tray beingwelded or otherwise secured to the side Wall. The support is hanged overat 2D and its upper and lower margins against the side Wall of the trayand the upper margin I4 of the tray side wall rests upon the upperflange 2U of the support. The support embraces a portion of the sidewall of the tray which preferably is not perforated the perforationsextending merely between the corner supports. This support at its loweredge terminates spaced above the bottom of the tray as at 22. It isspaced above the tray bottom at approximately the same distance as theperforation I6.

When a plurality of trays are nested one upon the other as shown inFigs. l and 3 these supports of the several trays seat upon each otherto so support the trays that the perforated portions of the side Wallsexposed to permit free circulation of. air over the bottom of the trays.The supports also project outwardly beyond the side walls so as to formabutments which protect the trays from outside blows which might damageits relatively thin metal wall. When the trays are stacked the weight ofthe stacked trays is taken upon these supports as shown.

What I claim is: l. A tray of the character described having bottomformed of thin sheet metal bent upwardly and outwarciiy to form a sidewai, said side wail provided `with an outwardly rolled upper margin, asheet metal corner support ernf7 bracing each corner of the side walland secured thereto below said outwardly rolled upper marcgin and havinga marginal flange seated against. the side wail spacing the cornersupport out`= wai-diy beyond the side wall, said corner supportterminating spaced slightly above the tray bottom and at the topengaging the outwardly rolled margin of the side wall, said side wallhav ing air circulation perforations therein between said cornersupports and spaced above the trav bottom.

2. A tray of the character described formed ci sheet material having abottom portion, a man ginal side wall portion extending upwardly fromthe bottom portion, said side wall portion provided with an outwardlyrolled upper margin, a corner support embracing each corner of the sidewall and secured thereto, said corner support having upper and lowermarginal flanges seated against the side wall and spacing the cornersupport therefrom, said upper` marginal ange directly abutting theoutwardly rolled upper margin of the side wall, said lower man ginalflange disposed spaced above the bottom oi the tray, said side wallhaving air circulation perforations therethrough between said cornersupports and spaced above the tray bottom a distance approximating thatof the lower flange of the corner support above said bottom.

ROBERT P. SCHERER.

